prologue
Les Misérables - 10th Anniversary Concert Cast Lyrics

Look down, look down
Lower your head and avoid meeting the eyes of others

Don't look 'em in the eye
Do not confront authority or risk retaliation

You're here until you die
As a prisoner, you are condemned to lifelong servitude

The sun is strong
The oppressive conditions of prison are extreme

It's hot as hell below
The conditions of confinement are unbearable

There's twenty years to go
A long sentence awaits those convicted of crimes

I've done no wrong
Some prisoners may be falsely accused or wrongfully convicted

Sweet Jesus, here my prayer
The prisoners implore divine mercy for their suffering

Sweet Jesus doesn't care
Despite their faith, they feel abandoned by God

I know she'll wait
A prisoner clings to hope that loved ones will remain loyal

I know that she'll be true
Despite incarceration, love endures and inspires determination

They've all forgotten you
The outside world has forgotten the prisoners and their plight

When I get free
The dream of freedom can sustain a prisoner

You won't see me
The prisoner will vanish like dust when released

'Ere for dust
The conditions of imprisonment are like death

How long, O Lord
A prisoner pleads for mercy and deliverance from despair

You'll always be a slave
Even after release, society may deny former prisoners their rights

You're standing in your grave.
Prison is a living death that literally and metaphorically entombs its inmates

Your time is up
A prisoner's sentence nears its end

And your parole's begun
The prisoner's release is conditional on future compliance

Yes, it means I'm free.
Freedom is a relative term for an ex-convict

No! It means you get
The ex-convict remains under the control of the state

Your yellow ticket-of-leave
A certificate indicating that the ex-convict is at liberty subject to conditions

You are a thief.
The ex-convict is defined by their past crime

I stole a loaf of bread.
The ex-convict's crime was a desperate act of survival

You robbed a house.
The ex-convict's actions violated social norms and property rights

I broke a window pane.
The ex-convict's actions caused damage and harm

My sister's child was close to death
The ex-convict's crime was motivated by compassion and responsibility

And we were starving.
The ex-convict's crime was due to extreme poverty and need

You will starve again
The ex-convict is still vulnerable and subject to deprivation

Unless you learn the meaning of the law.
The ex-convict's suffering and deprivation can be avoided by obedience and social order

I know the meaning of those 19 years
The ex-convict has learned the hard way of the injustice and brutality of the penal system

A slave of the law.
The ex-convict recognizes that the law is both oppressive and necessary for social order

Five years for what you did
The ex-convict was given a harsh sentence for a minor crime

The rest because you tried to run
The ex-convict's defiance and attempted escape earned them additional punishment

My name is Jean Valjean.
The ex-convict reclaims their identity and dignity

And I am Javert
The prison guard affirms his authority and power over the ex-convict

Do not forget my name
The prison guard demands respect and obedience from the ex-convict

Do not forget me
The prison guard asserts his identity and control over the ex-convict